In:
Journal of Refractive Surgery, SLACK, Inc., Vol. 38, No. 2 ( 2022-02), p. 78-81
Abstract:
To evaluate the rate of infectious keratitis after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who were diagnosed as having infectious keratitis after PRK between January 2015 and January 2021. RESULTS: The study period was divided into the pre-COVID-19 era (between January 2015 and February 2020) and the COVID-19 era (between February 2020 and January 2021). A total of 47 patients were diagnosed as having infectious keratitis after PRK: 22 were diagnosed in the pre-COVID-19 era and 25 were diagnosed in the COVID-19 era. The rate ratio for infectious keratitis after PRK was 5.68 during the COVID-19 pandemic (CI: 3.20 to 10.07, P 〈 .001). The odds ratio for the ratio of cases of infectious keratitis after PRK to all cases of infectious keratitis was 9.00 during the COVID-19 pandemic (CI: 5.05 to 16.05, P 〈 .001). To better understand the change in the rate of infectious keratitis after PRK during the COVID-19 pandemic, the analysis was narrowed to the patients with infectious keratitis who had their procedure in Farabi Eye Hospital. Of the 8 patients who were diagnosed as having infectious keratitis after PRK, 4 were diagnosed in the pre-COVID-19 era and 4 were diagnosed in the COVID-19 era. The risk ratio of infectious keratitis after PRK was 9.11 in our department in the COVID-19 era (95% CI limit: 2.28 to 36.46, P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of infectious keratitis after PRK increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This may be due to the increased use of face masks in this era. [ J Refract Surg . 2022;38(2):78–81.]
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1081-597X
DOI:
10.3928/1081597X-20211201-01
Language:
English
Publisher:
SLACK, Inc.
Publication Date:
2022
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